MODULARITY BASED MANUFACTURING PRACTICES, SUPPLY CHAIN RESPONSIVENESS, AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF A FIRM

摘要

This study extends prior research on manufacturing practices by testing the relationships between modularity based manufacturing practices (MBMP), supply chain responsiveness (SCR), and competitive advantage (CA) of a firm. The large scale web-based survey yielded 294 responses from industry professionals in the manufacturing and supply chain area. The proposed relationships were tested using structural equation modeling. The research findings point out that higher levels of MBMP can lead to improved SCR. Also SCR can have a direct positive impact on CA of a firm. The study did not find any significant direct relationship between MBMP and CA of a firm.